Santa Catalina or ‘Santa Cat’ as the locals like to call it is a former fishing village; which was once a home to fishermen, flour millers and rope makers. Named after a former hospital dedicated to Santa Catalina of Alexandria, the area is now one of Palma’s most appealing areas and an uber-chic enclave with painted cottages, art nouveau town houses, designer boutiques, bars and music cafes. You will find Santa Catalina west of Avenida Argentina and north of the harbour. It still retains a village atmosphere but with an arty, bohemian feel and this is where the locals come when they want to chill and enjoy a beverage or a meal.

The vast, beautiful and historic Palma Cathedral (‘La Seu’ in Catalan) is without question, the major architectural landmark in the capital city. The awesome predominantly Gothic 14th century structure is located in the heart of the city and the sheer scale of the golden sandstone building makes it impossible to miss. Climbing high above the old city walls, the cathedral is the glory of Palma, a magnificent demonstration of the wealth and strength of the island’s Christian conquerors, from the sea, it is a superb sight.

Located in Playa de Palma and close to the airport, Palma Aquarium is one of the finest in Europe and has an excellent reputation for its marine research, conservation and preservation programs. The aquarium has a very impressive display of live coral and many of the corals that you will see have been breed within the premises. The 55 tanks at the aquarium are filled with five million litres of salt water and they are home to sea creatures from the Mediterranean and also far-away oceans. The central tank has a transparent tunnel, which you can walk through >

Plaza Mayor is a traditional main square in the heart of Palma Old Town and until 1834 was the headquarters and seat of the Inquisition. Today, the square holds markets and fiestas and is a good place to begin an exploration of the historic Old Town with its cobblestoned streets and old arcaded buildings. Plaza Mayor is known as Placa Major locally and was erected on the site of the Convent of San Felipe Neri. It is now a place where tourists and locals go to enjoy tapas and a drink from one of the many ground floor restaurants and bars. In addition to being a social and cultural hub, Plaza Mayor is also a creative centre and is known as the “artists quarter”. You will find art galleries, street performers and mime artists in abundance.

There are a few must-see tourist attractions in Palma and many of these are located in Palma’s Old Town. In Spanish the area is known as ‘El Casco Antiguo’ and it is home to the vast, beautiful and historic Palma Cathedral, the Royal Palace Of La Almudaina and the Es Baluard Contemporary Art Museum. Palma Old Town is very picturesque and the best way to explore it as by foot. You’ll find medieval streets, Gothic architecture, a host of shops selling antique products and the elegant avenue Passeig del Born with its designer brand shops. Over the years, many different cultures have left their mark on Palma and you can see this imprinted on and within the architecture of Palma Old Town.

Castell de Bellver is a well-preserved 14^th century circular castle straddling a wooded hillside to the west of Palma with spectacular views of the Bay of Palma and the Tramuntana mountains in the distance. Surrounded by fragrant pine woods, the castle is unique in design and is Spain’s only round castle. Now a renowned Palma landmark located at the top of the hill Puig de Sa Mesquida, the former grand fortress and Catalan Gothic masterpiece attracts visitors by the hundreds who come to admire the architecture, the views and visit the interesting ground-floor museum. King Jaume II gave the order for Bellver Castle to be built back in 1300 and the job was given to Pere Salva, the architect who designed the Almudaina Palace (The Royal Palace).

Mercat de Santa Catalina (Santa Catalina Market) is Palma’s oldest food market located in Santa Catalina, one of Palma’s most appealing areas and an uber-chic enclave with painted cottages, art nouveau town houses, designer boutiques, bars and music cafes. Today, Santa Catalina is a culinary and social meeting place for people from all walks of life and is very popular with the yachting community, locals and also tourists. Predating all other markets in Palma, Mercat de Santa Catalina is housed in a building built around 1920 and was divided into individual stalls in 1978. Other renovations included a new roof in 2000 and the addition of public toilets, a cold room and offices. The market is open from 08:00 hrs to around 14:00 hrs Monday through Saturday.

Passeig des Born, also known as Paseo del Borne is an iconic tree lined boulevard and one of the most elegant shopping areas in Palma hosting luxury designer brands such as Carolina Herrera, Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Hugo Boss & Mulberry. Nicknamed ‘The Golden Mile’ but often just called ‘the Borne’, the street with wide promenade and pedestrianised section is busy with both people and traffic; however it is still a great place to sit down in one of the many cafes and restaurant terraces and watch the world go by. The location and style of the Borne have made it the most sought after retail location on the island despite it having a lower footfall than other shopping areas. Passeig des Born has a long history and has been host to countless fiestas and also many demonstrations.

The seafront promenade in Palma actually starts from the military port near Port Pi and stretches all the way to Palma Airport. A 4 km section of this is the Paseo Maritimo. This article looks at the part of the promenade that is not on the Paseo Maritimo. The promenade with its fantastic sea views is extremely popular for walkers, joggers, roller-skaters, skateboarders and cyclists. There are lots of bars, restaurants, cafes and shops to stop at when you need a break, there is also a mini-train that chugs along the promenade for those that are feeling less active. Just beyond the cathedral at Ca’n Pere Antoni, is Palma City Beach. It is a golden, sandy beach that is very popular with the locals and visitors who are staying in Palma and fancy a quick dip in the sea.

San Juan Mercado Gastronomico (The San Juan Gastronomic Market) opened in June 2015 and has established itself as a favourite haunt for local foodies in Palma. The market is located within the S’Escorxador cultural centre in a space which was once the city’s abattoir. The coral-pink Modernista building has been renovated at a cost of £2m and is now an impressive home for this gastronomic social and cultural hub. Within the market; which is open 365 days per year, you’ll find around 20 food stalls, a bar, café, terrace and bistro tables providing the space to sit down and eat what you have purchased. The main attraction at San Juan Mercado Gastronomico is the food. The market is an assault course of smells and temptations with some stalls serving dishes worthy of top-notch restaurants.

The full name for this museum of modern art is Es Baluard Museu d’Art Modern i Contemporani de Palma; which is why most people just call it Es Baluard.  The concept for Es Baluard Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art was envisaged by the former King Juan Carlos three decades ago and the museum was official established on 30th January 2004. Es Baluard currently possesses an important reserve of contemporary art by creators who are either from the Balearic Islands or related to them in some way. It also holds temporary exhibitions and historically has held exhibitions by artists such as Picasso (2006), Andy Warhol (2006) and Joan Miró (2006 and 2008), among others.

The Paseo Marítimo is the wide sea promenade connecting the area of Porto Pi with the Parc de la Mar in front of the Cathedral. It is very popular with walkers, joggers and cyclists. Also known as Avinguda Gabriel Roca, this 4 km stretch of promenade is the most popular walk in the city. There is so much to see along the way such as the wonderful harbour with row after row of yachts, Palma Cathedral, Bellver Castle and the stunning Mediterranean sea framed by pink sunrises or golden sunsets. The recommended starting point for a walk along Paseo Maritimo is Porto Pi. You’ll pass a number of attractions such as Tito’s; which is the hottest club in town.

Joan Miró (1893 – 1983) was a Catalan painter and sculptor who combined abstract art with Surrealist fantasy who worked extensively in lithography and produced numerous murals, tapestries, and sculptures for public spaces. Joan spent most of his life in Barcelona but had a passion for Mallorca; where he spent his childhood holidays, also his wife and mother were Mallorcan and at the age of 63, he purchased a house with a studio in Cala Major, the location of Marivent Palace which is a holiday home for the Spanish royal family. On Christmas Day in 1983, Joan passed away and the house and studio were extended and renovated to house a permanent exhibition of his art.

Even if you are only on the island for a short visit, the narrow-gauge, train journey from Palma to Sóller should be close to the top on your things-to-do list. One of the most rewarding excursions on the island, the vintage train to Sóller is a very popular attraction with a journey time of around 1 hour and 15 minutes. Sometimes known as the Orange Express, the wooden train was originally introduced to transport oranges and lemons from the Sóller valley to the capital, replacing a stagecoach service, which crossed the high mountains via the Sóller pass on a steep, narrow dirt track, which was exhausting and tediously slow.

Palma Arab Baths (Banys Arabs) is a 10th century ancient bathhouse and some of the last remnants of the Arab City known as Medina Mayurqa, the capital of Muslim Mallorca for 300 years. The Arab bathhouse or ‘hammams’ is located in the gardens of a former nobleman’s manor on the quiet street of Can Serra within the narrow streets of the medieval quarter of Palma and amazingly, the building is still intact. Palma Arab Baths are similar to those found in other Islamic cities. The steam room has a preserved tepidarium with a cupola (dome) in the shape of a half orange; which is supported by 12 columns believed to have been recycled from a number of Roman buildings as each column is different.

The Royal Palace of La Almudaina was a 10th century Muslim fortress (alcázar ) prior to being converted into a residence for the Mallorca Royal Family at the end of the 13th century. A long time before the Moors arrived in the 10th century, the site had been utilised by both the Talaiots and the Romans and the area was once home to a Roman fort. Symbolically, the King of Spain still resides here; however it is unlikely that you will see him there with the exception of an occasional important ceremony >

If you fancy painting the town red, then the nightlife in Palma will not let you down, there’s plenty of great venues to choose from. Whatever your ‘cup of tea’ is, you’ll find everything within easy walking distance. The capital city has a year round, vibrant buzz fueled by tourists during the summer and kept sizzling by locals and expat residents throughout the winter. The liveliest places are Santa Catalina, La Llonja and around the Old Town where you will find lots of busy bars and restaurants. During the summer, a popular area of Palma is the Paseo Marítimo, the wonderful promenade that runs parallel to Palma’s seafront.